Shock-absorbing apparatus.



M HOUDAILLE. SHOCK ABSORBING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 1. 1909.

Patented sept?, 1909.

companying drawing the device orming'the.

narran siens e MAURICE HOUDAILLE, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

SHOCK-ABSORBING- APPARATUS.

Application mea-march 1, laos.

Specication of Letters latent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Serial No. 480,373.

vTo allfwhom "it may concern: l

Be it known that I, MAURICE HOUDAILLE, citizen of the French Republic, residing at Pa ris, in France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbing Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification. 4

The improvement in Shock-absorbing or dashot apparatus for motor vehicles and the li re forming the subject of this invention consists chiely in the addition to apparatus of the type in which a piston moves in'a liquid in a containing vessel of a tank or auxiliary vessel containing a reserve of thel liquid for compensating for the loss which takes place through evaporation, leakage etc., and results in the derangement andl ba working oi' the apparatus. The transfer of the liquid .from the reserve tank to the main vessel can be regulated by means of a valve or like closing member, reierably working automaticallyY under t e action of the vacuum to be compensated -for, but arrangement may be made whereby the valve may also he operated by hand.

In the following description and the acsubject of this invention is assumed. to be applied to shock-absorbing apparatus of the .so-called rotary piston type, but obviously it can be applied also to reciprocating pistons, the reserve or compensating tank in either case being connected by means of a suitable conduit to one of the chambers of the vessel in which the piston works.

In the accompanying drawing given by nay of example, Figure 1 is a vertical section through apparatus provided with a d'evice according to this invention. i llfig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line A--A of F ig. l. Figs. 3 and 4l show in vertical section and elevation with parts broken away, modified constructions of the same device, and Fig. 5 shows in perspective one ot the constituent parts of the apparatus.

lilith reference to Figs. 1 and 2 a isa cylindrical vessel divided diametrically into .two compartments b c by segment-shaped partitions d and e. In one of lthese partitions is connected the'nozzle 'c oi' a reserve tank f. This tank is provided, at a slight distance from its bottom, with a horizontal partition g through the center of which passes the spindle of a valve h arranged in the space formed between the-bottom of the tank and the partition g and tending, under pension spring.

Vthe action of a'w'eak s ring i, to close the' orifices j with which t e said partition is provided around the s indle of the Valve.

The nozzle c is provided with holes l opening into a recess inthe segment-like partition d, from which recess lead grooves lmI (F ig. 5) which, in combination with the Wall of the cylindrical. vessel a, form conduits of comparatively small cross-section through which the liquid contained 1nv thek apparatus can pass with a limited velocity l is provided with a hole 0 establishingcommunication between the nozzle and the compartment 6.

The pistons p and g secured to thespindle r and traveling in the compartments Z) and c respectively are provided with valves a arranged to close passages?? in order to prevent any circulation of the liquid from taking place through the passages during the rotation of the pistons in one direction, and to open the holes or passages and allow the liquid to pass through when the movement of the pistons is in the' opposite direction.

For some vehicles the pistons need not be provided with the valves, but in such cases each segment d' and c would be made with a small passage w shown dotted inFig. l to connect the compartments and c. The spindle r is centered relatively to the cylindrical vessel a by means of a recess which engages with a projection e on the side wall oit the vessel. v The cylindrical vessel@ may be secured by means of lugs c to one of the parts` of the elastic suspension of a vehicle, for instance to the chassis, while the spindle 'n may be connected by a crank m to another part, for. example to the axle or to a point on the sus- The operation of the movable portions of the apparatus when under thev action of a violent shock is as follows-The pistons p, g, driven bythe spindle r move in the direction of the arrow 1, the valves s open to admit liquid through the holes Z,.`and at lio the same time the kliquid passesfrom 'one compartment into the other through theV grooves m. On the other hand when the pistons move in the direction of the arrow'2 the valvesI s are. closed so that the liquid can circulate only through the grooves m. The

result isa difference in the circulation of the' 4 liquid according to the direction of the rotation vof the spindle r, this diii'erence being utilized for deadening the sudden return "of the parts when moving in one direction. I/Vhen it is desired to have the same deadening action whatever vthe directlon of motion -of the pistons, the valves sare dispensed tends above the diaphragm so that the valve may be manually depressed to open the orifices y'.A In the modied lconstruction shown in Fig. 3, the spindle or valve h passes freely through `a cover u and projects externally thereof, thus enabling the valve to be operated by hand and ot course the valve /L in this construction as Well as that shown in Fig. 1 is adapted to operate automatically by the suction produced by the pistons or the action of the liquid in the tank f. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4, it is impossible to adjust the valve' manually as the tank or auxiliary vessel f is closed by an im erforate cover u', the o eration of the va ve in this form belng entirely automatic.

The provision according to this invention of-an auxiliary vessel or compensating tank enables comparatively fluid substances, such for instance as glycerin, to'be used instead of grease or other thick lubricants which,

owing to what may be termed a churning action, quickly become hardened and work badly. Hitherto the use of liquids has had a serious drawback on account of leaka e,` ,but this disadvantage is obviatedv by t e present invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is' 1. In shock-absorbing or dash-pot apparatus for motor vehicles and the like, the combination of a vessel containing liquid, a piston movable therein, an auxiliary vessel adapted to contain a reserve of the liquid, a conduit between the auxiliary vessel and the main vessel, and means whereby normally the liquidin the auxiliary'vessel will not be affected by movement ofthe piston, said v esame' means being automatically adjusted to allowl,

liquid to pass from the auxiliary vessel to the'main vessel to compensateior leakage from the main vessel. 2.\In shock-absorbing or dash-pot apparatus for motor vehicles and the like, the

combination of a vessel containing liquid, a

adapted to contain areserve of the'liquid, a

y conduit between the auxiliary vessel and the main vessel, and* a valve controlling such Apiston movable therein, an auxiliary vessel conduit, and normally preventing the liquid in the auxiliary vessel from being aifected by movements 'of the piston, said valve being. automaticallyy adjusted to` permit liquid toppass from the auxiliary vessel to the main.

vessel to replace liquid escaping from the latter vessel.

3.. In shock-absorbing or dash-pot apparatus. for motor vehicles and the like, the` combination of a vessel contalning liquid, a

piston movable therein, an auxiliary vessel adapted to contain a reserve of the liquid, a

conduit between the auxiliary vessel and the main vessel, and a spring-controlled valve ,controlling such conduit, and having its stern extending to the outside of the casing' in which the valve is arranged, said valve normally preventing the li uid in the auxiliary vessel from being a ected bymovements of the piston.

4. In shockabsorbing or dash-pot apparatus for motor vehicles and the like, vthe combination of a vessel containing liquid, a.

piston movable therein, an auxiliary vessel adapted to contain a reserve of the liquid, a conduit between the auxiliary vessel and the main vessel, and a spring-controlled valve controlling such conduit and normally preventing t e li uid in the auxiliary vessel from being a ected 'by movements of the.

piston, said valve being automatically adjusted to permit liquid to pass fromthe auxiliary vessel to the main vessel to compensate for liquid escaping 'from the latter vessel, also capable of being operated by hand.

5. In shock-absorbing or dash-pot apparatus for motor vehicles andthe like, the combination of a vessel containing liquid, a

piston movable therein, an auxiliary vessel. ada ted to contain a reserve of the liquid a con uit between the auxiliary vessel and t e main' vessel, a flexible diaphragm cover to the auxiliary vessel, and a valve controlling the conduit and fixed to such cover.

6. In shock-absorbing or dash-pot apparatus lfor motor vehicles and the like, the combination of a circular vessel divided into a plurality of compartments b c communicating through narrow conduits m, a member 7' capable of limited rotary motionin suh vessel, piston blades p g mounted on sald member, an auxiliary vessel adapted to contain a reserve of liquid, a conduit between the auxiliary vessel and the main ves- 130 ess-,076 l i B' sel, and a valve controlling such conduit, and normally preventing liquid in the auxiliary vessel from being aiected by movements of the piston, said valve being 'automatically adjusted by the action of the piston to permit liquid to pass from theauxiliary Vessel to the main vessel to maintain the quantity of liquid in the main vessel constant.

7. In shock-absorbing or dash-potapparatusk for lmotor Vehicles and the like, the combination of a circular vessel divided into a plurality of compartments b c communi- .catingthrough narrowconduits m, a member 1" capable of limited rotary motion in such vessel, pist-on blades p q mounted on said member, valve controlled openings t in the piston blades, an auxiliary vessel f adapted to contain a reserve of liquid, a conduit between. the auxiliary vessel and the main vessel, a iexible vdiaphragm cover y to the auxiliary vessel, and a ring-controlled valve la, controlling the conA uit and attached scribed, the combination of a vessel -containing liquid, a piston movable therein, an auxiliary vessel adapted to containa reserve of liquid and having an aperture communicating with the main vessel, a flexible diaphraghI covering the auxiliary vessel, and a valve controlling the outlet aperture from said vesseland having its\stem extending through and connected to said diaphragm.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MAURICE HOUDALLE. Witnesses H. C. Coxn, GEORGES BONNEUIL. 

